Patients with acute functional neurological symptoms (FNSD), such as weakness or seizures, maybe particularly high users of emergency services, with major financial implications. Our study is comparing detailed emergency care use in a large FNSD cohort compared with the general population, using data on patient care episodes collected from local hospitals in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw ICS.
Our results indicate that compared to the general population of a similar age and sex profile, a greater proportion of patients with FNSD utilise UEC services. FNSD patients were approximately 5-6 times more likely to use NHS 111, to call an ambulance, visit A&E and be admitted to hospital, compared to the general population. A refined strategy may be required to reduce emergency service utilisation and improve the engagement of these patients with pre-planned / routine healthcare provision.